Category: Press Release

No one likes limits. Being told what to do, when to do it, how to do it, and for how long. Who enjoys living in a world like that? Yet, we live in a world where we are told how fast to drive, that events and deals are for a limited time only, limits on phone minutes, text, and data, and there’s always some limit on much you can buy of an item during a sale.

The first ever Comikaze Expo takes place this weekend, November 5th and 6th at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Billed as the largest gaming, comic, horror and multimedia pop culture convention, the event will kick off with appearances from Stan Lee and the official “spokesperson”, Elvira. This expo is expected to draw over 60,000 attendees and have more than 300 vendors on the convention floor. Tickets for the event are on pre-sale at $12 each on the Comikaze website. With each ticket, the holder will receive their choice of a celebrity lithograph photo valued between $79-$189.

Comikaze will feature several name guests and exciting panels for attendees to see and meet. There will be several cast reunions, including several members from the various police Academy films as well as a number of actors who were on the Nickelodeon (SNICK) sketch comedy show “All That.” Other guests will include a few Star Trek actors, along with Ernest Borgnine, Morgan Fairchild and Ernie Hudson.

Some of the panels of note include an “All That,” reunion taking place on Saturday afternoon, in addition to the famed comic and animation creator Jhonen Vasquez. Other panels of interest include, but are not limited to, Steampunk 101, “Team Unicorn’s Super Happy Fun Panel,” The Making SyFy’s Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files, Paleontology with Morgan Fairchild and many others catering to people’s various interests and hobbies.

Since this is the first ever Comikaze Expo, it is sure to be an event to remember. It will be like no other convention before or after because of the eclectic and diverse guest list and panel discussions. This is something that comic, movie, horror and pop culture fans don’t want to miss and with the scope and scale being so large, there is sure to be something for everyone. Hopefully with a large and positive turnout, the Comikaze Expo will become an annual event and a Los Angeles tradition.

This is big news for the comic industry! IDW has just announced a deal in which their content will be made available directly through Apple’s iBooks service, making them the first major comic publisher with such an offering . Previously IDW’s books were made available digitally through providers such as ComiXology and iVerse in which you could purchase individual issues as well as collections, or numerous standalone apps for various series and titles (as shown below) created to take advantage of iTunes’ search function.

A deal such as this could potentially open IDW to a larger audience than ever before with impulse buys via the “Featured” section of the program. Apple has built a reputation of being a king maker whenever it features anything in one of its commercials, be it song, movie or app, and I would love to see this record include comic books.

Imagine this; the next generation iPad commercial just started and there is the device against a solid white background. As the narrational finger swipes across the screen, highlighting the device’s various functions in sync with a reassuring voice over, we momentarily stop on the cover for True Blood: All Together Now via iBooks. As the commercial moves on half a second later that ever so brief screen time could potentially drive a large amount of customers to purchase the book for themselves. In a time when the industry is looking at ways to bring in new readers an official Apple nod might be just what we need.

IDW is currently focused on using this format to distribute longer-form graphic novels and collections with hopes of bringing in new readers in the same way book retailers such as Barnes and Noble has. While the release schedule for upcoming titles are not directly tied to when we may see them in comic shops, there are a few titles books as Code Word: Geronimo that will see day and date release on iBooks to maximize its exposure as IDW continues to look toward the future of the industry and how fan consumption will evolve.

If you are not an iBooks customer or do not own an iOS device then don’t worry. IDW will continue to work with technology partners on distribution for iOS and Android apps, Sony devices, Nokia devices as well as the web. Also, content will remain available for purchase through these methods and pricing will be as closely consistent as possible throughout all outlets. Just consider this as another way for you to get the stories that you love.

Check out the official press release below for more information!

IDW Graphic Novels Debut on Apple iBooks

First major comics publisher to offer iBook graphic novels and comics
for the iPad™, iPhone®, and iPod touch®!!

Continuing to lead the charge of digital comics, IDW Publishing, a leader in digital comics, proudly debuted today the first large collection of comic and graphic novel titles ever available within Apple’s iBooks store. As the first major comics publisher to offer significant content, IDW’s initial iBooks entrée features nearly twenty complete graphic novels, including award-winning books and works by best selling prose authors.

This one-of-a-kind launch kicks off with CODE WORD: GERONIMO, which is launched simultaneously in iBooks and in print. An original graphic novel detailing the raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound by SEAL Team 6, CODE WORD: GERONIMO is expertly written by military insider Captain Dale Dye (USMC, Ret.) and Dr. Julia Dye, Ph.D., and offers the amazing, moment-by-moment inside story of the clandestine raid that rid the world of this terrorist mastermind.

“IDW’s graphic novel line is a perfect fit for iBooks,” stated Jeff Webber, IDW’s director of ePublishing. “While our various comic storefront apps, such as IDW Comics, TRANSFORMERS Comics or Doctor Who Comics, are extremely popular with experienced comics readers and fans of those brands, having this significant presence in iBooks will help readers discover creators and titles, much the same as browsing in major book retail chains.”
IDW’s rich catalog of top prose authors and comics creators is especially suited for iBooks. Fans of IDW writers such as Joe Hill, Anne Rice, Max Brooks, Peter S. Beagle, or James Patterson can now find IDW graphic novels right next to their respective prose releases. Award-winning creators like Darwyn Cooke and his acclaimed adaptations of Richard Stark’s Parker books and the first installment of the BLOOM COUNTY: THE COMPLETE LIBRARY are also included in IDW’s diverse iBooks line.

The IDW launch has something for all ages, from classics like Eric Shanower’s OZ series for younger audiences, and Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez’s best-selling LOCKE & KEY series for mature readers.

“Our internal technology team, led by Lorelei Bunjes, has put a huge effort into developing a great reading experience for iBooks,” Webber continued. “We’re very proud of the team’s efforts to create a quality experience.”